Refilling a Propane tank

[Taz Baby]

Just moved this conversation over here from the other thread.
We use the #1 Colman propane bottles for cooking and we go thru a lot of them. Even tho they are cheap enough we thought we could just refill them as we also use the #20's for heat. So we got a connector from HF and going to refill them. Sniper T We get our Propane from a Propane/garden store. It is $14.00 to fill a #20 tank. Most gas staions and Wally world have the exchange program for the tanks but Wally world wants $17.00 for a #20 tank exchange. We only do that when we need one that looks new. But the gas stations want $23.00 for a exchange. Now we have a #100 one that we filled for $55.00 before we left the BOL. When we came back it was empty. Don't know what happened as we haven't found it to be leaking. We have to take it to be checked again. Does anyone else refill the little #1 bottles and if so how. WE are new to doing this.

[slowz1k]

I refill the 1 pounders quite a bit using the coupler pictured. The "trick" to refilling these smaller bottles is to put them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before filling them. The receiving tank needs to be colder than the supply tank for a proper fill.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk95/slowz1k/Prop1.jpg
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk95/slowz1k/Prop2.jpg

Of course the supply tank needs to be inverted since your draining fluid and not gas.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk95/slowz1k/Prop3.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk95/slowz1k/Prop4.jpg

Hope this helps

[mitunnelrat]

That's awesome!

[Taz Baby]

Well, we refilled some of our 1lb propane tanks and so far they seem to be O.K. We didn't want to fill all of them in case they slowly leaked and we didn't know it. Tested them with a spray bottle filled with soapy water. Haven't found the metal caps yet but so far so good.